To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 532W, on departmental staff, how many applications the Department has received for the position of Director General of Equalities; and when she expects the position to be filled. (107332)

53 candidates applied for the position of Director General of Equalities. Appointment procedures are in the final stages and it is expected that the position will be filled in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years. (107738)

Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006, so figures for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are included in the figures in the table.

As required under the Civil Service Recruitment Commissioners’ Code, vacancies in Communities and Local Government are advertised in accordance with the principles of merit, open and fair competition. Posts may be advertised, based on the individual circumstances, both within and outside the civil service and in a variety of media such as the press, the internet or local jobcentres.

The total cost of recruitment advertising in each of the last three years is as follows (note the figures are given as expenditure in financial years). The majority of these posts were classed as specialist i.e. Senior Research Officers, Assistant Librarians, Accountants, Auditors and Statistical Officers.